This streamlined approach to specialized lending could help Canadians unlock long-term growth
When a long-time client approached Garry Stratychuk about investing in a new business with his son, the insurance advisor’s first thought was how to help his client access the necessary liquidity without undoing years of careful financial planning.
The answer came in the form of Immediate Financing Arrangements (IFAs), a specialized lending product available through his existing policy. “The father already had significant life insurance coverage in place, and that policy became the key,” says Mr. Stratychuk, chief executive officer at ITI Financial in Niverville, Man. “By using [the policy] as collateral for a specialized lending loan, he could fund the new business without selling assets or touching his long-term estate plan.”
For many business owners and professionals, traditional lending avenues often clash with the need for liquidity and the desire to maintain their long-term strategies. Specialized loans, such as borrowing against existing insurance policies, may open up a world of opportunities – and yet, Mr. Stratychuk points out, they are not always top of mind. “Advisors don’t always see life insurance as a deferred asset that actually has cash value today and can be used as collateral in lending” says Mr. Stratychuk.
It’s this insight that prompted Manulife Bank to streamline its approach, says Kerry Reinke, head of specialized lending at Manulife Bank. The new simplified suite of products is easier for advisors to navigate and make a part of holistic financial planning, which means more opportunities to build long-term wealth for clients, Reinke says. “It allows advisors to enhance cash flow and long-term wealth strategies without forcing clients to disrupt their plans.”
A strategic approach to a complex lending landscape
Revamping the specialized lending suite was a strategic move to consolidate more than 20 products into four simplified lending families designed to fit with the individual needs of high-net-worth clients and seamlessly fit into advisor workflows.
According to Mr. Reinke, the restructured product lineup supports faster approvals, smoother integration with financial planning and greater flexibility for clients navigating the current economic landscape – all in the name of providing the best service to advisors and their clients. That can mean providing liquidity for a business owner, support for a growing family or help for an advisor expanding their practice.
The focus, he says, is on creating financial longevity, with “solutions that evolve as life does.” Here’s a closer look at each of the new products:
Immediate Financing Arrangements (IFA)
For clients who want to maintain insurance coverage while accessing liquidity, an IFA allows borrowing against the cash value of a life-insurance policy, while maintaining the insurance coverage. This approach can support estate and tax planning without requiring asset sales.
Target client: High-net-worth individuals and families, professionals and business owners.
Main takeaway: “It’s about maintaining access to capital,” Mr. Reinke says. “The client gets the protection they need and still has funds available for their business.”
Access Line of Credit Plus (ALOC+)
Available in Quick or Max versions, ALOC+ Quick is geared toward shorter-term cash needs, such as helping children purchase a home or unexpected expenses. ALOC+ Max has larger credit limits of more than $1-million. Because it’s secured against an insurance policy or securities, clients can tap into the funds while allowing assets to keep growing. It also enables faster approvals and easier integration with other financial plans.
Target client: Mass-affluent to high-net-worth individuals and business owners.
Main takeaway: “Clients have cash-flow flexibility, allowing them to access funds when needed without disrupting the compounding growth or time horizon of their investments,” says Mr. Reinke.
Investment and RRSP loans
For clients building wealth or looking to accelerate the growth of their investment portfolio without straining day-to-day cash flow, there are two options. Investment loans allow people to borrow money to invest in non-registered accounts, while RRSP loans add new funds to maximize available contribution room.
Target client: Emerging high-net-worth clients and mass affluent clients.
Main takeaway: “These loans help clients put their money to work sooner,” says Mr. Reinke. “They’re ideal for people with a strong income and a solid plan who may not yet have substantial assets but want to get a head start on long-term investing.”
Advisor financing
This offers a practical way for advisors and managing general agencies to expand their own businesses with credit, whether that’s buying a retiring colleague’s book of business or updating technology.
Target client: Insurance and investment advisors.
Main takeaway: “These solutions help [advisors] grow their practices through acquisition while ensuring that acquired clients continue to receive a high level of advice and service,” says Mr. Reinke.
Partnership in practice
Alongside these revamped products, Manulife Bank is continuing its focus on service, says Mr. Reinke. “When we lend to someone, that person isn’t our client, they’re the advisor’s client – we have to match the high standard of service that advisor delivers.”
The strategy behind the simplification of Manulife Bank’s specialized lending platform is to augment an advisor’s practice, rather than compete with it, emphasizes Mr. Reinke.
For advisors such as Mr. Stratychuk, alignment is critical. Many of his clients are family business owners who value independence and control.
“We can get financing in place quickly, and the client feels supported throughout,” Mr. Stratychuk says. “It helps them move forward with confidence.”
This story was originally published in The Globe and Mail on December 4, 2025.